The present invention relates to sub-munition warheads and more particularly to such a warhead containing a number of heavy kinetic energy penetrators known as "flechettes".
The warhead of the present invention has been developed for use with unguided air to surface rockets as an area weapon against armoured vehicles. The use of such weapons involves the firing of several rockets, each fitted with a multiple flechette warhead, at a tank formation. On rocket burnout, the individual flechettes separate from each warhead and these aerodynamically stabilized flechettes continue to the target, where they retain enough kinetic energy to penetrate the armour.
With a warhead of this sort, the flechettes must be contained and rigidly retained in an aerodynamic shell to ensure high velocity when the flechettes are released. The flechettes must be expelled on rocket burnout and the expulsion, which occurs at very high velocity (e.g. 1200 m/s), must take place with minimum disturbance to the flechettes to ensure a clean flight and optimum terminal effects. In addition, the means for retaining and expelling the flechettes should be of minimum weight to maximize the velocity of the rocket and minimize the possibility of damaging the launching aircraft with ejected debris. The warhead of the present invention has been developed with these desiderata in mind.